The Walking Dead Podcast Episode 72: “Thank You”

This week we invite PopOptiq contributor Felix Vasquez Jr. To discuss an emotionally devastating episode of The Walking Dead. “Thank You” left us with plenty of questions including whether or not a certain character indeed died and whether or not Rick Grimes was bit in the hand. All this and more.

[powerpress]

Playlist

Roky Erickson – “I Walk With A Zombie”
Led Zeppelin – “Thank You”

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At this point, TPTB on the show have painted themselves into a corner with no good way out:
Here are their options for tonight’s episode, in order from best to worst:

1) Glenn is alive.

Yes, many fans, myself included, would prefer this option. Yes, it would mean TPTB have deliberately manipulative and their public comments amount to being a d[umb] move. But it’s not the first time:
— Carol was certainly dead in the Prison, killed by walkers, and the only remains was her head scarf (the one she conveniently first started wearing in that episode and never wore a head scarf since) … only to show up alive in another part of the Prison.
— Tyreese was certainly dead, angry after Karen’s death, on the road for a mission, when the car gets stuck, surrounded by walkers and everyone flees into the trees while he’s all alone with just his hammer…only for him to somehow show up having survived.
— Tyreese again was certainly dead when trapped with baby Judith (or should her name be “Bay B. Judith” at this point) and one of the cannibal Termites who breaks free and threatens to kill her unless Tyreese walks outside, unarmed as a swarm of walkers is attacking … only for him to bust back later on and kill the dude after somehow surviving the swarm.
— Glenn was certainly dead when Nicholas shot him outside of Alexandria and left him to fend off multiple walkers coming for the kill … only for Glenn to somehow survive and nearly beat Nicholas to death.

2) Glenn is dead..

This would be the option that would mean even the “core” group is not safe. As Sepinwall mentioned in his review, not since Andrea’s death in Season 3 has a member of remaining group from Season 1 been killed. It raises the stakes on the rest of the group and the rest of the show. But TPTB would have still made a d[umb] move by NOT making Glenn’s death clear, raising false hope, not stating outright he was dead (like when Vince Gill stated that Jesse Pinkman had killed that meth cook at the end of Season 3 of Breaking Bad because a lot of viewers mistook the camera orbiting him for him having moved his armed, since the background wall was blank, you couldn’t tell it was the camera moving, not Pinkman). Bad enough they would not have given Glenn a heroic death (ala, Tyreese, Bob, Beth, Hershel, et al.), but to muff the depiction of the death so fans can’t properly “mourn”? Ugh.

3) They delay.

After knowingly manipulated fans, TPTB follow up with an episode that IGNORES the potential death a hugely popular character, fails to resolve it one way or another but focusing entirely on Morgan. So not only would they be drawing out the agony of fans looking for resolution about the fate of one of the most popular characters on the show–but also taking the shine off a Morgan-centric which would be otherwise an awesome idea since he is another very popular character on the show. Instead of being able to enjoy the Whatever Happened To Morgan story, we the viewers have to fidget in more discomfort fearing TPTB are jerking us around some more.

So, yeah, there are no “good” options for tonight, merely choosing the least of three evil options. At least option one keeps a popular character and means TPTB have been d[ouche]s for merely a week.

— Ken from Chicago

P.S. If they can’t squeeze in the fate of Glenn in tonight’s NINETY-minute extended episode, fans will royally, rightfully, be ticked off. So …. go, option #1!